W's of Mental Health

Mental health is important- we all have heard this statement and also tried to implement the same in our lives. a sudden wave of awareness about mental health has taken over, we witness this all over social media through debates, people sharing their stories, some professionals sharing tips on how to maintain your mental health, well, this is almost like a dream come true for psychology enthusiasts, a major strata of people are still confused about the concept of mental health. to clear this confusion for once and for all, let's break it down into the W's of Mental Health.

First comes WHAT, What is Mental Health? When we mention that we have a sound mental state it implies that the individual is able to cope with their stressors effectively, works at their full potential, learns well, and is able to contribute to their community. While this a broader perspective implication of mental health, it is a very individualized concept and contains various subjective interpretations of each individual and how they view it to be. It is considered as a continuum which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical outcomes. 

Second in order comes WHY, Why is Mental Health Important? Our mental health is manifested in our mood, daily functioning, interpersonal relationships and our physical health as well. To lead a healthy and meaningful life, one has to make sure that each of these areas are in a healthy state, and looking after this one arena i.e mental health can make sure that the other areas are in a good state as well. Examples of physical manifestation include heart disease and stress are related, managing stress might have a positive outcome on heart disease. Some benefits of taking care of mental health are :

  • Reducing our anxiety

  • Improving our mood

  • Creating an enhanced sense of inner peace

  • Thinking more clearly

  • Improving our relationships

  • Increasing our self-esteem

Third comes HOW, How it affects our health, our interpersonal relationships and our loved ones? We have established the fact that mental health has its manifestation in one’s physical health, now we will understand how that happens. When an individual has poor mental health, they tend to neglect their physical health as well, such as skipping meals, not exercising enough, neglecting personal hygiene. Over time, this can start to take a toll on their physical health, and they may find themselves feeling run down and exhausted. Physical health problems can also exacerbate the state of mind issues. For instance, a patient dealing with chronic pain, may find it difficult to concentrate or sleep, which can trigger or worsen anxiety and depression. Additionally, certain medical conditions can increase your risk of developing mental health problems. Struggling with mental health can also cause difficulty in maintaining healthy relationships .

Lastly comes WHO, Who to Seek Help from? There are a number of professionals offering mental health services, with little to no difference in their descriptions. In this case it is confusing to common masses who to seek help from, to ease your pathway a picture is presented below to help you figure out who to seek help from. 


(mhfinid.org)

We hope this blog gives you a bit more clarity on the concept of mental health. Mental health is a journey and we are here to help you on this journey by understanding it a little better.

See you guys in the next blog :) 


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